Will County Board

Will County Board
Name	Will County Board
Jurisdiction	Will County, Illinois
Type	County board
Established	1836
Seat	Joliet, Illinois
Leader type	Chair
Leader name	Jesse J. Gomez
Members	24
Term length	4 years
Meeting place	Will County Courthouse

Will County Board is the legislative and administrative authority for Will County, Illinois, responsible for countywide policymaking, budget approval, and oversight of county services. The board operates from the county seat in Joliet, Illinois and interacts with municipal, state, and federal entities including the Illinois General Assembly and various regional planning agencies. It conducts public meetings, sets tax levies, and supervises departments such as the Will County Clerk's office and the Will County Sheriff's Office.

History

The institution traces its origins to the creation of Will County, Illinois in 1836, when early county supervisors and commissioners managed local affairs amid westward expansion and the canal era centered on the Illinois and Michigan Canal. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries the board navigated events like the rise of Joliet as a transportation hub, the impact of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, and regional industrialization tied to the Steel industry in Illinois. Postwar suburban growth and the establishment of infrastructure such as the Interstate 80 in Illinois shifted the board’s focus toward zoning, road construction, and public health. In recent decades the board has addressed matters related to metropolitan planning with entities like the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and responded to statewide statutory changes enacted by the Illinois General Assembly.

Structure and Membership

The board consists of 24 elected members representing township-based districts across Will County, Illinois. Members serve four-year terms and elect a chair and officers to manage proceedings; past chairs have included local officials from New Lenox, Illinois and Bolingbrook, Illinois. Membership reflects geographic diversity from municipalities such as Plainfield, Illinois, Crete, Illinois, Minooka, Illinois, and Lockport, Illinois, and includes professionals with backgrounds tied to institutions like the University of St. Francis (Illinois) and regional healthcare providers. The board follows parliamentary procedures for agenda-setting, and meetings are held in the Will County Courthouse with public comment opportunities. Staff support comes from the county administrator’s office and departmental directors including the Will County Executive and clerical staff.

Powers and Responsibilities

Statutory authority derives from Illinois statutes governing counties and administrative units, empowering the board to adopt ordinances, levy property taxes, and authorize appropriations for departments such as the Will County Highway Department and public health divisions that coordinate with the Will County Health Department. The board oversees county facilities, public safety funding affecting agencies like the Will County Sheriff's Office and local fire protection districts, and land use decisions implemented through zoning boards and planning commissions that coordinate with the Metropolitan Planning Council. It sets personnel policies for county employees, contracts for services, and emergency response coordination with bodies such as the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

Committees and Subcommittees

The board organizes its work through standing committees and ad hoc subcommittees covering domains such as finance, public works, public health, judiciary services, and land use. Typical committees include Finance and Audit, Public Safety, Transportation and Highways, Health and Human Services, and Land Use and Development; these committees review items before full-board votes and interact with departments like the Will County Clerk and Will County Treasurer. Subcommittees may be formed to address capital projects, grant applications, and intermodal freight planning related to corridors like the I-55 Corridor. Committee hearings often include testimony from municipal officials from Romeoville, Illinois, advocates from environmental organizations, and representatives of regional transit bodies such as Pace Suburban Bus.

Elections and Political Composition

Board members are elected from single-member or multi-member districts in partisan or nonpartisan ballots depending on county election rules and state election code overseen by the Will County Clerk. Political composition has shifted with demographic changes across suburbs linked to the Chicago metropolitan area; parties active in county elections include the Democratic Party (United States) and the Republican Party (United States). Voter turnout and campaign dynamics have been influenced by statewide contests for offices like Governor of Illinois and federal races for the United States House of Representatives districts that overlap county boundaries. Special elections occur to fill vacancies, and ethics and open-meetings requirements reflect standards in Illinois law.

Administration and Budget

The board adopts the county annual budget and capital improvement plan, allocating funds for public facilities, road maintenance, human services, and emergency preparedness. Revenues include property tax levies, fee income from recording and licensing administered by the Will County Recorder of Deeds, state shared revenues, and federal grants such as those administered through the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Financial oversight is exercised via the Finance and Audit Committee and the county auditor; bond issuances for projects require board approval and adherence to municipal finance statutes. Administrative operations are managed by the county executive staff, human resources, and the county attorney’s office.

Intergovernmental Relations and Regional Impact

The board engages with municipal governments within the county—such as Homer Glen, Illinois, Channahon, Illinois, and Wilmington, Illinois—and regional entities including the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Will County Center for Economic Development, and state agencies. It participates in multi-jurisdictional planning for transportation, economic development, and environmental conservation involving partners like the Illinois Department of Transportation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on watershed and floodplain matters near the Des Plaines River. The board’s decisions influence suburban growth patterns, infrastructure investment, and intergovernmental service delivery across the evolving Chicago metropolitan area.

Category:County governing bodies in Illinois